


The Memory Seems to Have Escaped Me

by tencolorpen



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love Again, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lovers To Enemies, M/M, Not Beta Read, Please be nice, Probably won't be finished, Slow Burn, Sorry guys, Unrequited Love, We Die Like Men, Wish me luck, although it took four months for me to add chapter three, and more importantly the angst uwu, endgame tomtord, first fanfic, i live for angst, i never posted this because i'm a coward, i was like 15 when i wrote this please be nice, if only for a bit, im not even in this fandom anymore, im so sorry, it should be, like this is a fucking soap opera, so don't worry about the tomedd it's crucial to the plot, so uh, the plot is so cliche, there'll be fluff too eventually, this is an old story from 2017, tord is a filthy weeaboo, why isn't that a tag, wow i might actually finish this guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-01-12 03:51:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18438467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tencolorpen/pseuds/tencolorpen
Summary: due to an accident, tom seems to have forgotten something important. his keys maybe??(spoiler: it's not his keys.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> oh hey you clicked this owo
> 
> uhh please enjoy??

Tom woke up to a massive headache.

 _Holy jellybeans in a tape_   _dispenser... What_  happened  _last night?_  he wondered. Tom assumed he must've gotten  _very_  drunk the night before and was suffering the consequences. Again.

Slowly, Tom's surroundings came into focus. He wasn't in his room. He could tell by the smell. It smelled like pain and disinfecting chemicals... like a hospital.

Tom groaned, rubbing his forehead sluggishly. He discovered a bump there, painful to the touch.  _Am I in the hospital for a fucking_  bruise?  _Lame,_  he thought.

Almost immediately, someone rushed to his side and began... stroking his hair...?

Okay? It was probably Edd. Or Matt. Or, possibly, some weird nurse.

"...Edd?" Tom croaked, voice hoarse from disuse.

"Shh, shhh, Tom. Get some rest," Tom's visitor murmured, his voice thick with a Norwegian accent.

Wait, Norwegian?

Tom cracked his eyes open, though, not too much, because the light hurt his eyes.

The first thing he saw was red. The shade was so vibrant until he almost closed his eyes again, but he forced himself to keep looking upward.

All it took was for him to just make out the silhouette of two hair spikes against the light, and he was wide awake. He sat up and his throbbing headache made him instantly regret it, but he needed answers.

The last time he could remember seeing Tord, he'd been falling from the sky in his giant robot, after killing Jon, destroying his house, and trying to hurt him and his friends.

"T...Tord? What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to hold back his anger long enough to satisfy his curiosity.

"When I heard what happened, I dropped everything to be by your side," he said. There was an emotion Tom couldn't quite identify in Tord's silver eyes. But just as quickly as it he noticed it, Tord's expression changed as he chuckled. "Some people aren't so pleased with my decision... but I just  _had_  to be here. I had to be here for you."

That emotion was back in Tord's eyes.

"But  _why?_  Why  _you,_  of all people? Why not Edd, or even Matt?"

Tord looked surprised. Maybe even a little offended? "I thought you'd want me here?" he said, though it sounded more like a question.

"Why would I  _want_  to see you, Tord, after everything you've done?"

Tord sighed. "Thomas, we've been over this."

" _When,_  Tord? When did we go over this? The memory seems to have escaped me," Tom spat, bitterly.

"Tom, we've been over this a million times, how could you forget?" Tord sounded concerned. "You  _know_  I'm sorry-"

"You  _are?_ " This was news to Tom.

" _Yes._  And you know I regret what I did, but you know bloody well that we can't change the past... well, actually, we  _can,_  but I digress. Now is  _not_  the time for this, Tom. I think it's time for you to lie back down and get some rest." Tord gently started to push Tom back onto the hospital bed, but Tom stopped him.

"If now isn't the time, when  _is_  the time, Tord? As far as I know, the last time I saw you, I shot you out of the sky. You should be  _dead._ "

"Tom? Are you feeling alright?" Tord asked. If he'd looked concerned before, he looked  _really_  concerned now.

"What do  _you_  think? I'm in a hospital bed and  _you're_  here."

"Tom, I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Tom, you saw me yesterday,  we had an argument again, remember? And then you said you needed some air-"

"Don't lie to me, Tord. We haven't seen each other in two years."

"Tom."

"Why are you even talking to me?"

" _Tom._ "

"I mean, we  _hate_  each other. Why would you even  _want_  to see me?"

"Tom, you need to get some sleep. In the meantime, I'll see if I can contact Matt. He'll be glad to know you're alright. Been worried sick, you know."

"What about Edd?" Tom asked.

"Tom, we haven't seen or heard from Edd in three years."

Tom blinked. He was sure that he'd just seen him the day before.

"Tord...? What's going on? Is this some sort of sick joke?"

"I can assure you that this isn't a joke, Tom," Tord said. "I'm actually trying to figure out what's happening myself."

"Let's start with something simple. Why am I in the hospital, Tord?" Tom asked.   
Tord took a deep breath. "You were in a car accident accident."

"A car accident," Tom repeated.

"That's right," Tord said. "The doctors say that you're very lucky that you haven't suffered any physical injuries, though they were concerned about the possibility of brain damage."

"Tord?" Tom asked, sounding worried.

"Yes, Tom?"

"Do you think that I have... brain damage?" Tom forced the last words out of his mouth.

Tord faltered. "I... don't know, Tom. You've been acting weird since you woke up, so I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm not really an expert on this." He sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," he said. Then he smiled. "Get some sleep. Let's see how you feel a bit later. In the meantime, I'll call Matt."

Tom forced a small smile. "Alright. Sounds great."

Tom lay back down and closed his eyes. He had intended to pretend to go to sleep, to make Tord leave faster, but he hadn't realized how tired he actually was. Within minutes, Tom was genuinely fast asleep.

Tord lingered around for a bit longer, watching Tom sleep. "Sleep well, my love," he whispered. He left without another word.


	2. Matt's Right About Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know if i should continue this?? 
> 
> hint: i probably wont lmao

Tord anxiously paced back and forth in the hospital's waiting room. He'd dialed Matt's number as soon as he'd left Tom's room. Not only did he have to keep his promise, he also needed someone to talk to.

"Come on, pick up, pick up," he muttered to himself as the phone kept ringing until finally, Matt picked up.

"Matt! Thank god, I need to talk to someone right now," Tord said, relieved.

"Tord! Nice to hear from you! How's Tom? Is he doing alright?"

"That's the problem, Matt. I'm not sure," he admitted.

"What? Is he dying? Should I come over?"

"No, Matt. He's fine, it's just..." Tord let his voice trail off before taking a deep breath. "He woke up, but he's acting strange. Like... he's forgotten about everything after the incident."

"Tord, that was seven years ago! What year does he think it is?"

"I... I don't know. I think he thinks it's 2018. I'm really worried about how he'll react when he finds out about... everything that's happened. He seemed shocked when I told him about Edd. I don't think he'll be able to handle everything else." Tord confessed.

"So he's forgotten everything?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, and he hates me. In fact, one of the reasons why I'm calling you is because he'd rather see you than me," Tord said.

"Ouch. So how are you taking all of this? I would imagine it's very stressful, what with everything that's happening."

"I'm still processing. It all happened so fast... One minute everything was normal, and the next... he was gone. And it's all my fault!"

Tord, too worn out to continue pacing, finally collapsed into one of the maroon-cushioned waiting room chairs. He wearily rested his head on his robotic hand, despite it being uncomfortable.

"Oh, Tord, don't be like that. It isn't your fault! You didn't cause that accident!"

"No, but I made him upset. If I hadn't continued that argument, he wouldn't have gotten in that car, and he'd be fine, Matt, he'd be fine, and none of this would be happening."

"Tord, you guys fight all the time. How were you supposed to know this would happen?"

"I still shouldn't have been arguing with him, though. I made him upset," Tord said, wiping a tear from his cheek. Since when was he crying?

"Arguing is part of all healthy relationships, Tord. You aren't supposed to agree all the time," Matt said.

"I guess you're right." Tord sighed before smiling. "Y'know, Matt, you're actually pretty smart."

He heard Matt laugh. "Of course I am! I'm Matt!"

Tord chuckled. "That you are," he agreed.

"So! You said Tom wanted to see me?"

 

*****

 

"Right this way to Mr. Thompson's room, Red Leader, sir," the nurse said. She smiled at Matt. "And you as well, Purple Leader, sir."

Matt had shown up not long after the phone call. Tord had been pacing around in the parking lot, chainsmoking cigars like there was no tomorrow. He'd been smoking them inside the hospital, too, but the hospital staff had threatened to kick him out if he kept doing it, as he was breaking the hospital's no-smoking policy.

"Tord, you're gonna end up killing yourself if you keep smoking like that," Matt had scolded him.

Tord had just smiled. "Nice to see you too, Matt," he'd replied. "I'm going to assume that you didn't come here to nag me about my habits?"

Matt had grinned. "Let's go."

The nurse stopped in front of room 2583. "Here we are, Red and Purple Leader," she said.

"Thank you. That will be all," Tord dismissed her. He then turned to Matt. "Are you ready?"

Matt nodded. Tord opened the door.

Tom hadn't woken up yet. He was curled around something Matt couldn't quite see. A stuffed bear, perhaps?

"He looks so peaceful," Matt said.

"Yeah. He's been through alot, though."

"So, Tord," Matt said, turning to face Tord, "what are you gonna do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're gonna need to figure out how you're gonna tell him about... well, everything, I guess. I'll help here and there, if you need me, but I think it should be you."

"I don't know, Matt. He hates me. I'm surprised I even got him to tolerate me being here. In fact, I don't think he will for much longer."

"Relax, Tord. You got him to trust you once, you can do it again, right?"

"I suppose you're right again, Matt," Tord said, smiling. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Tord. So, how long are you planning on staying here?"

"Until he's better."

"Tord, I'm not sure that's the best idea. It's been hard enough without Tom, and if you're not gonna do your job either, it'll be even harder. We need you, Tord, I need you. I can't run the world alone, Tord. I need your help." Tord noticed bags under Matt's eyes.

"Sorry for neglecting my duties, Matt, I've just been worried about Tom," Tord admitted. "I'd actually kinda forgotten how fast the work piles up."

"It's okay, Tord, it's just that I'm struggling to run an entire planet."

"I'll get back to work as soon as possible. I just need to know that Tom's alright."

"Alright. Just, please, do your work. It's been tough, and it's only been a day. I don't think I'll be able to manage much longer."

"Okay, Matt. I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you. This must be hard for you as well. I'll have my work sent over in an hour. I'll do it here," Tord said. "It should lighten your load a bit."

"Thank you, Tord. It means a lot to me," Matt said, smiling. "Now what?"

"Now," Tord said, "we wait. Did you bring any work with you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa there's a second chapter, this fic never got finished lmao. please leave critique and comments if you wanna, i'll appreciate it uwu
> 
> anyway i gotta get ready for school lmao


	3. In the Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tom and tord conversate like adults, wow!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look a third chapter
> 
> parts of this are from the original story (somewhat, the first chapter was a oneshot i wrote in an old notebook some time around 2016-2017) and some parts are new!! my writing voice has probably changed a lot, and i have no clue where this story was even supposed to go!!

_Tom materialized in a black void. So did everything else,_   _a blur rushing and spinning around Tom in a dizzying mass of colors and sounds, going faster and faster. He tried to focus on them one at a time, to pick something out that he could recognize, but it was impossible. They began to glow, a pure white light, spinning impossibly fast in a circle around Tom, until he was trapped in a beam of light, had truly become a celestial entity. Then, everything slowed and faded to nothingness._

_Silence._

_A man rose up from the ground, his back to Tom. His slightly wavy dark hair was unkempt, and he wore a long, black trench coat._

_"Tom," he spoke. His voice was lower and rougher than he remembered, but it was unmistakable. Tom's eyes widened. "I want you to join me. I know things are different between us, and I have no right to ask you to do this, but..."_

_He turned to look Tom in the eye. He was older, with bags under his eyes, a beard, and a serious expression that didn't quite fit his face._

_"...E-Edd... You know I can't... Tord and I-"_

_The words fell out of Tom's lips without his control, as though he were merely a spectator._

_"Even_ you _have to admit he's gone too far this time."_

 _"...I  wouldn't say_ that _..."_

_"Tom. He took over the world!!"_

_"He's making it better!"_

_"You can't possibly believe that. You, of all people, can't possibly be defending him."_

_"People change."_

_"Not you, Tom. Not about this."_

_Tom sighed. "...Fine. I'll fucking help you. But he can't find out about this."_

 

_With that, everything vanished, and Tom was pulled to the floor, swallowed into the depths._

 

*****

 

Tord had been working on paperwork for the past six hours, Matt having long since left to do the same once it became apparent Tom wasn't waking up any time soon. Apparently, Tord had missed quite a lot while he'd been freaking out over Tom. Oops.

Tom, speaking of which, was still fast asleep. Tord had sent for his favorite stuffed bear not long after he'd fallen asleep. The second Tord had set the bear down next to him, Tom had latched onto it tightly, pulling it close to his chest.

 _Kawaii~,_  he'd thought. If Tom could hear his thoughts, he'd probably call him a filthy weeaboo, not that it wasn't deserved. He chuckled at the thought.

Tord sat near his bedside, glancing up at Tom occasionally while he worked. If he didn't think too hard, he could fool himself into thinking that everything was fine, that he was just working yet another late night. Tord hadn't been able to bring himself to be too far from him, though he wasn't sure why. Tom had made it perfectly clear that he'd wanted nothing to do with him. 

_Maybe he'll remember something when he wakes up..._

As if on cue, Tom began muttering in his sleep about something or other before rolling over, facing Tord. Tord looked up at him curiously, but otherwise did nothing. He did  _not_ want a repeat of earlier. He did, however, manage to make out the hint of a scowl that overtook Tom's slumbering features. He grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "stupid commie" before falling once again into deep sleep. Tord snorted.

_Yeah. He'll be fine when he wakes up._

 

*****

 

Tom woke up, feeling decidedly  _not_ fine. When he opened his eyes he was met with only darkness, so much so that for a panicked second he wondered if he was back in the strange dream void until he noticed the silvery moonlight seeping in through the window. Oh.

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts as a quiet snore came from his right. In the dim light, he could make out the sleeping form of Tord, slumped in a rather uncomfortable-looking chair and surrounded by mounds of paperwork. He looked tired, like he could really use that sleep. The asshole in Tom almost wanted to wake him up to piss him off and start a fight, but he didn't want to deal with him first thing after waking up again. Plus, Tord had been acting strange? Almost like he  _cared?_ Tom had the sinking suspicion that Tord would be  _glad_ if he woke him up, and that scared him more than anything ever had. Even more than a black man from outer space, and that was saying something.

Tom rolled onto his back. What the  _fuck_ was going on? Tord had seemed pretty shocked with how he'd reacted to seeing him. After waiting two goddamn years to confront him, the response he'd gotten was rather... anticlimactic. And what was the deal with Edd? What did Tord even mean by _"we haven't seen or heard from Edd in three years?"_ As far as Tom was concerned, he'd just seen Edd. He remembered it vividly.

 

*****

 

_Tom poked his head into his boyfriend's room and sighed. Edd was hunched in front of his computer, scratching away at his drawing tablet as usual. Tom understood, completely, animation was hard and took a lot of time, but this was a bit much. He'd been at it nonstop for days, barely eating or getting any sleep, if the bags under his eyes were anything to go by._

_"Edd."_

_"Hm."_

_"I'm heading out."_

_"You too."_

_Tom rolled his eyes (or lack thereof?). He didn't seem to be listening._

_"I'm breaking up with you."_

_"Great."_

_"Tord's back."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"The apartment's on fire."_

_"Cool."_

_"I'm pregnant."_

_"Yeah."_

_"...We're out of cola?" Tom tried. If this didn't work, nothing would._

_Edd spun around so quick he nearly toppled out of his chair, a near-frenzied look all over his face that was almost scary, especially coming from what was essentially a zombeh a mere moment before._ "What?!"

_Tom nearly doubled over with laughter at the reaction, meanwhile Edd's expression changed to one of mild annoyance when he caught on, and he rolled his eyes, though he was smiling now too._

_"What do you want, Tom?" Edd asked after Tom finally calmed down._

_"I'm heading out, you should come."_

_Edd anxiously glanced back at his computer. "I dunno Tom, I really gotta work on this-"_

_"Edd, come on. You haven't left the house in days, I'm worried. You've been working for ages; that can't be healthy. Take a break, let's go do something fun." Tom smiled at him, a rare, genuine smile, how could Edd say no to that? He sighed, there was no way he could win the argument, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care at all._

_"Fine, Tom. I'll go. Just let me save this real quick."_

 

*****

 

Strange. He couldn't remember anything beyond that...? Before Tom could attempt to remember more, Tord let out a groan. Tom froze, trying to be as silent as possible, not that he'd been moving much anyway. He didn't even allow a breath to escape his lips as he focused his attention to Tord and his movements. He  _absolutely_ did not want to wake him up, or, if he was already awake, clue him in to the fact that  _he_ was awake. Unfortunately, the universe did not appear to be on Tom's side on this one.

"Tom."

 _Fuck._ He could really use some air.

"I know you're awake."

 _He's bluffing. He's gotta be bluffing, right?_  

Tom heard Tord stand up and stretch, then turn towards him. He could feel his eyes on him. His lungs burned. He wouldn't last much longer.  _Shit._

"You only get this quiet when you're pretending to sleep. That, or you're dead, which I know for a fact isn't the case because your heart monitor is still beeping, albeit very fast, suggesting anxiety."

Tom gasped, greedily gulping in air. Tord did nothing.

"Asshole," he managed to choke out when he'd (mostly) caught his breath.

Tord only chuckled. "It's your own fault Thomas."

Tom huffed. "...Why are you still here."

Tom couldn't see very well, but if he'd squinted, he'd have been able to make out the amusement leaving Tord's face, leaving only a serious expression.

"Thomas," he said softly.

"What."

"You still don't remember anything?"

It may have been Tom's imagination, but was that a crack in Tord's voice? Why did it make his heart clench? He sighed.

"I don't believe so," Tom said after a pause.

"What do you mean by that? What's the last thing you remember?"

"Choking while your useless ass stood there," he said. Yeah. He was still salty about that.

"I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're being serious. Fine. The last thing I remember is... I was about to go out with Edd? He's been working himself into the ground lately on animating, I just, I've been worried about him, you know? I just wanted him to take a bit of a break, to enjoy himself."

Tord froze. At least, it seemed like he did. It wasn't like Tom could see him.

"...Anything else?" His voice was low and strained.

For a moment, he considered telling Tord about his dream, he really did. Something about it seemed weird. Like it was important, somehow? But then he came to his senses.

 _This is_ Tord _we're talking about. What is he, my therapist? It's none of his business._

"...Tom? Are you there?"

Oh yeah. He hadn't said anything in awhile. He should probably do that.

"No. That's it."

Tord went quiet for a bit, and for a moment, Tom wondered if he knew he wasn't being entirely truthful, but then he heard Tord sigh.

"...Alright, Tom. You should get some rest. The doctors say you can leave tomorrow if you're feeling better, but they'll run some tests to be sure. It'll be a long day."

"What about you?"

Tord seemed taken aback.

"I need to get back to work on all these papers," he said wearily. He (maybe? It's still dark) gestured to all the papers surrounding him. "I'll... leave you alone here."

Tom was silent as Tord gathered up all his papers and headed toward the door. Tom couldn't believe he was about to say this.

"...Tord."

"Yes, Thomas?"

"Get some sleep. It's no fun arguing with a tired person."

 Tord turned to face him, and in the moonlight, Tom saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. He gave a small smile in return.

"I'll try my best," he said, before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Tom rolled on his side, about to go back to sleep when he noticed... Tomee Bear? What was he doing here? Did... did Tord bring him? Tom decided not to dwell on it and smiled, pulling the bear close as he drifted off into sleep.

_Maybe the commie isn't that bad after all. Just... a regular bad._

 

*****

 

Unbeknownst to everyone, the man who'd hacked the surveillance cameras had seen everything that had taken place in the hospital room. He grinned. Though he'd ultimately failed, everything was going far better than he could have ever hoped for.

 

 

 

 _Don't worry, Tom._ _I'm coming for you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the beginning scene totally wasn't inspired by su and mp100 what are you talking about. also im mad because i had to add kawaii to my dictionary so i hope you're all fucking happy because im sure not
> 
> i made a basic outline to follow for the story so there'll be updates now!! i'd recommend subscribing because they'll probably still be sporadic but i'm not your mom. or your dad.
> 
> also i accidentally uploaded this early oops

**Author's Note:**

> yeah uh why are you still here lmao


End file.
